Brothers & Betas

Xander

I stood on the ridge with Kane, my Beta, my closest advisor, and surveyed the landscape. I could breathe when up high over my pack lands watching the sun sinking toward the trees in the valley below, the stress of leadership melted away, if only for a few minutes.

"There, Dax's truck," Kane pointed to the small road at the head of the valley that led into our compound set deep into the National Forest. When we had arrived in the late 1800s, Bridger had been just acres and acres of wilderness. We had slowly purchased as much as we could, working as loggers and opening one of the few sawmills in the back country. When the government had bought up the land to create the National Forest, I had refused to sell, and we had been grandfathered in. Now we were surrounded by government forest. The forest service kept the area pristine, and left us alone for the most part, so I couldn't complain. It gave us plenty of room and privacy to run - two of the main things I required to keep my pack intact, and our nature hidden over the human generations.

"They're late," I crossed my arms across my wide chest. My long braids danced around my shoulders and face. The wind had started gusting at that elevation.

Kane grinned. "He probably tried to boss Sage again. You know how she likes to devil Dax."

"He'll be in a foul mood then," my lips quirked. I shouldn't enjoy my baby sister's antics so much. She was willful and stubborn and fought pack rules tooth and nail. She would be the death of me, but I admired her spunk and her sassy mouth. No one else would take on Dax with such disregard to their safety. I worked hard to not show my favoritism, but I knew Kane was well aware of how I felt.

"Fouler than normal?" the smaller man quipped. Kane was not only my advisor but my best friend. Closer to me than even my brothers, Dax and Gunnar. With Kane, I could just be Xander, not only Alpha. Kane was a slight man when compared with most of the rest of my inner circle. He was barely 6 feet tall with the lean muscles of a runner, not the bulky frame of myself, my brothers and most of my cousins. He made up for his lack of brawn, however, with a brain honed sharp as a steel Viking sword and eyes that took in everything and everyone. There were no secrets from Kane.

I sighed deeply. I wished I didn't have such a difficult relationship with Dax. We always seemed to be at odds over one thing or another. After all these centuries together, we had forged only a fragile detent. I was afraid Dax would always chafe under my leadership. Always be someone I had to watch my back around.

"We'd better get back down to the house," I clapped the smaller man on the shoulder.

Kane gave me an evil grin, "Race you, Alpha." Before I could respond, Kane had transformed into a large black wolf with gray markings on his muzzle and ears. I barked a laugh as I let my wolf overtake me. We ran through the trees and down the mountain, our yips and barks of pure joy following in our wake.

 

***

 

 

As Kane and I strode across the clearing toward the main cabins, Dax came storming toward us.

"You have to do something with Sage," he demanded, his voice booming. "She is..." His feet stopped suddenly as he felt the Alpha power radiate off of me. I had stopped and taken a dominant stance, my hulking arms crossed across my heavily tattooed chest. Dax stumbled backwards as my ice blue eyes speared into him. Finally, he lowered his gaze and bowed over one knee though he continued to try to fight the dominance compelling him.

"I'm sorry, Alpha," he said through gritted teeth, his tone quieter but still rough. He forced his head partially up to attempt to meet my eyes through the fall of blonde hair that had covered his forehead when he had been forced to bow before my power. "I meant I would like to speak with you regarding our sister."

I uncrossed my arms and silently held out a hand for Kane to pass me the clothes we hadn't had the chance to don before my brother had come at me making demands. I slowly pulled on the jeans and thermal t-shirt while Dax remained on one knee in front of me, making the man wait further to punish his continued insolence.

"You may meet me in my office," I told Dax as I released him. "I will be there directly."

Dax regained his feet and nodded curtly once before turning toward the main cabin where I lived, and the pack's business was run as well.

"I'm afraid he's building up to cause trouble again," Kane said solemnly. "You'd think after all these years, he would accept you wholeheartedly as Alpha. You have earned the title by birthright and by might, Xander. Your pack is behind you."

I stared off toward the mountains we had just come from. "It may make no difference soon. If I don't find my mate, it will not make any difference."

"I have faith that the gods will not allow you to succumb to the Curse," Kane said, taking a firm grip of my bulky shoulder. "You must have faith as well."

I continued staring. I didn't want to remind my friend that a god had placed this curse on my family and my faith was long used up. I feared for my people. "Go find Sage and tell her I want to speak with her this evening. I'm going to deal with Dax."

"Yes, Alpha," Kane nodded, and grinning, ran off to find Sage.

I took a deep breath before entering my office, steeling myself for the confrontation I knew was coming. Dax was already there, pacing like a caged animal. As I walked in, his stormy blue eyes locked onto mine, a challenge simmering just beneath the surface.

"Sit down, Dax," I said, my voice level but firm as I took my seat behind the desk.

He hesitated for a moment, his jaw clenching, before finally lowering himself into the chair across from me. The tension in the room was palpable.

"Now, what seems to be the problem with Sage?" I asked, though I already had a good idea.

Dax leaned forward, his hands gripping the armrests. "She deliberately undermined my authority in front of the younger pack members. Again. You need to rein her in, Xander. She's becoming a liability."

I fought the urge to sigh. This was an old argument, one we'd had countless times over the centuries. Dax, my older brother by three years, had never truly accepted my position as Alpha. The gods' choice still rankled him after all this time.

"And how exactly did she undermine you?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral.

As Dax launched into his grievances, my mind wandered to the curse that hung over us like a dark cloud. The curse that threatened to turn me into a mindless beast if I didn't find my fated mate soon. The same curse that had claimed our father, and his father before him.

I remembered the day the curse was placed upon our line. Our ancestor, Fenrir, had angered Odin by refusing to submit to the Aesir's rule. In his rage, Odin had cursed all future Alphas of our line: "You shall have great power, but it will be your undoing. Unless you find the one who can tame your beast, you will lose yourself to it entirely."

For generations, we had searched for our fated mates, the only ones who could break the curse. Some had been lucky, finding their mates in time. Others... hadn't been so fortunate.

"Are you even listening to me?" Dax's sharp voice cut through my thoughts.

I refocused on my brother. "I hear you, Dax. But you need to understand that Sage is young. She's still learning her place in the pack."

Dax scoffed. "She's over two hundred years old, Xander. She's not a pup anymore."

"And you're over a thousand," I countered. "You should know better than to let her get under your skin."

His eyes flashed dangerously. "Maybe if you weren't so soft on her—"

"Enough," I growled, letting a hint of my Alpha power seep into my voice. Dax immediately stiffened, his wolf recognizing the command even if he didn't want to.

I leaned back in my chair, studying my brother. I knew what he really wanted – to be Alpha himself. He thought that if I succumbed to the curse, he'd finally get his chance. What he didn't understand was that the curse would affect him too if he took over. It was a burden of leadership, not just of bloodline.

"Dax," I said, softening my tone, "I know you think you could do a better job as Alpha. But this isn't about who's stronger or older. The gods chose me for a reason."

"The gods," he spat. "The same gods who cursed us? Why should we follow their decree?"

I felt a familiar weariness settle over me. How many times had we had this conversation? "Because their power still flows through our veins, brother. And because, curse or no curse, I am still your Alpha."

Dax stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "For now," he said, his voice low and threatening. "But your time is running out, isn't it, little brother? How long before the beast takes over?"

With that, he stormed out of the office, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on. The pain was more than just physical; it was a stark reminder of the curse that threatened to consume me. Dax was right about one thing – my time was indeed running out. I could feel the beast within me growing stronger with each passing day, its primal urges becoming harder to suppress.

The curse was a ticking time bomb, and unless I found my fated mate soon, I would lose myself to it entirely. I closed my eyes, remembering the last time I'd nearly lost control. It had been during the full moon, when our wolves were at their strongest. The rage had come out of nowhere, a red haze clouding my vision. If Kane hadn't been there to talk me down... I shuddered at the memory.

My fingers traced the intricate tattoos on my arms – ancient Norse symbols meant to help contain the beast. They had worked for years, but lately, even their power seemed to be waning. How much longer could I hold out? Weeks? Months? I feared to think it might be only days.

And if I succumbed to the curse, who knew what chaos would ensue? The thought of the beast taking over, of losing my humanity and potentially harming my pack, filled me with dread. But almost as terrifying was the thought of what would happen if Dax took control.

Would Dax be able to control the pack, or would his volatile nature tear everything apart? I'd seen his temper firsthand, witnessed the way he struggled with even the slightest challenge to his authority. How would he handle the pressures of leadership? The delicate balance we'd maintained with the human world could easily shatter under his impulsive rule.

More than that, I feared for the safety of our pack members – especially those like Sage, who didn't hesitate to stand up to him. Under my leadership, I could protect them from Dax's worst impulses. But if he became Alpha...

I walked to the window, staring out at the forest that had been our sanctuary for so long. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, oblivious to the turmoil within our pack. How quickly could that peace be shattered?

I thought of the stories our elders used to tell, of packs torn apart by infighting, of Alphas who lost themselves to the beast and led their people to ruin. I had always sworn I would never let that happen to us. But now, with the curse growing stronger and Dax's ambition unchecked, I felt the weight of that promise more heavily than ever.

My hand clenched into a fist. I couldn't let that happen. I had to find a way to break this curse. Standing up and walking to the window, I gazed out at the forest that had been our home for generations. For the sake of every wolf who called this pack home, I had to find a way out of this quagmire. The alternative was unthinkable.